“He wanted to know if we were still open. I told him we’d be open tomorrow and that I’d already donated all of the day’s leftovers to the shelter.”
He dips his chin in a single nod, but he doesn’t respond immediately, probably because there’s nothing to say. The manin the car literally asked me about the store hours and said he would be back, nothing more, nothing less.
“The phone?” he demands.
I almost laugh in his face, or completely ignore him, but I don’t think he would like that too much. I have a feeling he would lose what little control he has on his shit. Which I don’t understand, so instead of goading him, I tell him.
“He wanted the bakery’s number. I put it into his phone. It’s public knowledge.”
“He’s going to kidnap you,” Viking snaps.
My eyes widen, and my breath hitches as I stare at him for a moment in silence. He doesn’t give me anything else, and I don’t understand why. He can’t just drop a bomb like that and then not follow it up with any details.
“What do you mean he’s going to kidnap me?” I demand.
I’m met with silence.
“Viking?”
He watches me, his eyes searching mine, and I wish I knew what he is looking for. If I did, I would give it to him. Whatever he wanted would be his. Just for a taste, a touch, anything to have him. I would do anything—be anyone.
Or at least I would try.
“That man wants to combine our groups, and he thinks because you’re Piggy’s sister that it’s a good place to start.”
“Is this… does this involve Cidney and the troubles she had?” I ask in a whisper.
I know it must. I can’t imagine that it doesn’t. It’s way too similar not to. Except maybe this isn’t some nefarious attempt to kill me, but kidnapping does not sound like a fun time, so I’m going to go ahead and assume it’s all despicable anyway.
“Kind of, but not really. Same group, different people. He’ll kidnap you and marry you. It will intertwine our groups. Youwill be and are invaluable to them, because you are to the Vicious Reapers.”
“What if I don’t want to be?” I ask in a whisper.
He snorts. “Babe, it doesn’t fucking matter. I’m trying to keep all of this from happening by protecting you. Piggy didn’t want you to know what was going on. He didn’t want you to be on lockdown. But there’s no way out of it. They’re coming for you.”
I almost laugh, but decide against it because I’m scared as shit. I’m equally terrified to go on lockdown and to be kidnapped by someone who thinks marrying me is going to do something for the club. I never wanted to be part of this club, yet I keep getting involved.
Though I involve myself with the old ladies, because I actually like them. And then there’s Viking. I would involve myself if I thought I could. So maybe it was always meant to be. Maybe no matter how much I have fought against it, I was always supposed to be part of the Vicious Reapers.
“What do I do now?”
CHAPTER THREE
LAINEY
Viking doesn’t answerme immediately. I’m not sure what he’s thinking. I can’t read his thoughts, and I don’t know him well enough to guess. But his eyes stay glued to me, unmoving, unwavering.
I only wish they were on me because he wanted me… all of me. That he was trying to figure out which part of me to kiss first. I’m pretty sure that’s a dream that needs to die because he’s given me nothing in all these years to suggest he would ever want me.
Except for the one time when I was drunk two years ago, but he only said he couldn’t and left it at that. He’s never mentioned it again. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s been ignoring me since then… until now.
“Now you let me protect you.”
My brows snap together as my lips purse, and I tilt my head to the side. I want to ask him exactlyhowhe’s planning on protecting me. And if my brother knows that he’s here in myhouse alone, announcing to me that he will, in fact, be protecting me.
But before I can get a smart-assed word out, he closes the distance between us. My breath hitches when he’s so close that he’s almost touching me. Tipping my head all the way back, I look up into his eyes.
His chin is dipped low, his gaze focused on mine, and I tremble again, or maybe I never stopped, I’m not sure. But what I do know for certain is that I can’t speak. Even if I wanted to say something right now, my lungs, my throat… my brain… Everything has completely stopped working.